Some interesting reads ...

[vintagewitch]

There was a fascinating article over on Offbeat Home and Life that I read over my lunch break. It was about Hardcore Norming - a recent trend of people who are "radical" wearing "normal" clothing as a way to buck the trend of cultural consumerism.

I just wanted to make a quick note of all of this, because I think it's fascinating. I definitely remember the rise of Hot Topic as an "alternative" mall shop - very much encouraging the commodification of goth/punk/cyber fashion in the '00s. I know that I actually did participate in this for a while, and then when I realized how much of a mall rat I'd become, I started wearing very "normal" clothes that I found at thrift shops.

I find fashion fascinating because of the way that it declares an identity, but that identity is negotiated because of a broader culture of images that you are either challenging or buying into.

For future reference, here are some books:

Nation of Rebels: Why Counterculture Became Consumer Culture
Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are

And this extended blog post has other links to sources.

Aaaaaaanyway, back to work for me! Lunch is OVER.